Acts of the apostles 22:30; 23:6-11

Wishing to determine the truth
about why Paul was being accused by the Jews,
the commander freed him
and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to convene.
Then he brought Paul down and made him stand before them.

Paul was aware that some were Sadducees and some Pharisees,
so he called out before the Sanhedrin,
“My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of Pharisees;
I am on trial for hope in the resurrection of the dead.”
When he said this,
a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and Sadducees,
and the group became divided.
For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection
or angels or spirits,
while the Pharisees acknowledge all three.
A great uproar occurred,
and some scribes belonging to the Pharisee party
stood up and sharply argued,
“We find nothing wrong with this man.
Suppose a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?”
The dispute was so serious that the commander,
afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them,
ordered his troops to go down and rescue Paul from their midst
and take him into the compound. The following night the Lord stood by him and said, “Take courage.
For just as you have borne witness to my cause in Jerusalem,
so you must also bear witness in Rome.”

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The Pharisees believed in the resurrection from the dead while the Sadducees did not (easy to remember – they were “Sad-you-see” because they did not believe in the resurrection).  These were all faithful Jews, but Paul’s preaching had caused a great divide among the Jewish leaders because of this teaching on the resurrection from the dead.

It is easy for us Christians in 2012 to believe in the resurrection from the dead.  We have read about it, heard about it, experienced it in our hearts.  It is 2^nd nature to us as Christians to believe that Jesus rose from the dead.  However, imagine how hard this would have been for the Jews of the time, or anyone for that matter.  This was a new thing.  Besides Jesus raising Lazarus and the little girl from the dead, no one had laid this claim.

Yet that is what we believe.  Our God became man.  He walked this earth like me and you.  He lived our life and died our death.  But death had no power over Him.  His resurrection conquered death forever and it gives us hope today, that in 2012, we too will rise with Jesus to be with Him for all eternity in heaven.  That is GOOD NEWS!

God was grateful for Paul’s bold preaching.  He told Paul, “Take courage”.  God tells us the same thing when we fear preaching the Gospel.  God tells us the same thing when we do the right thing, even when it is unpopular.  God tells us the same thing when we have to do something very difficult. “Take courage.  It is I.  I am with you until the end of the ages.”

Do I trust the Lord?

Do I truly believe that Jesus rose from the dead?

If so, how does this truth impact my life?

God bless,

Fr. Burke

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Acts of the Apostles 20:28-38

At Miletus, Paul spoke to the presbyters of the Church of Ephesus:
“Keep watch over yourselves and over the whole flock
of which the Holy Spirit has appointed you overseers,
in which you tend the Church of God
that he acquired with his own Blood.
I know that after my departure savage wolves will come among you,
and they will not spare the flock.
And from your own group, men will come forward perverting the truth
to draw the disciples away after them.
So be vigilant and remember that for three years, night and day,
I unceasingly admonished each of you with tears.
And now I commend you to God
and to that gracious word of his that can build you up
and give you the inheritance among all who are consecrated.
I have never wanted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.
You know well that these very hands
have served my needs and my companions.
In every way I have shown you that by hard work of that sort
we must help the weak,
and keep in mind the words of the Lord Jesus who himself said,
“It is more blessed to give than to receive.?”

When he had finished speaking
he knelt down and prayed with them all.
They were all weeping loudly
as they threw their arms around Paul and kissed him,
for they were deeply distressed that he had said
that they would never see his face again.
Then they escorted him to the ship.

==================================

Reading this from Paul reminded me of the day I left my first parish, St. Mary’s in West Chicago, IL.  They say that a priest’s first parish is his first love.  I can understand that.  I remember at my last Mass there, as I looked out at the congregation, I was stunned at how well I knew the stories of each person there.  They had opened up their hearts to me for four years and I had opened my heart to them, to the best of my ability.  I shared with them my love for Christ and for them.  And they shared with me their love for Christ and for me.  There were many tears shed that day, similar to the tears they shared with Paul as he left Ephesus.

What was Paul’s message to the presbyters of Ephesus?

1)     Pasture the flock.  He warned them that wolves would come to steal the people away from Christ.  They were to be vigilant to preach the truth and protect the people.

2)    They were to hold up the responsibility given to them.  Paul reminded them that the Holy Spirit had chosen them to guide this Church.  What a gift and what a responsibility!

3)    They should serve in humility and hard work.  This life was not about them, but it was about Christ and His people.  “It is better to give than to receive”.

Take time to read this passage from Paul.  Imagine you were there and he was speaking to you.  What are you thinking?  What are you feeling? Are you carrying on his mission?  Have you ever had the experience of leaving a community with whom you had shared your heart and soul?

Have a blessed day!

Fr. Burke

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Acts of the Apostles 19:1-8

While Apollos was in Corinth,
Paul traveled through the interior of the country and down to Ephesus where he found some disciples.
He said to them,
“Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?”
They answered him,
“We have never even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
He said, “How were you baptized?”
They replied, “With the baptism of John.”
Paul then said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance,
telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him,
that is, in Jesus.”
When they heard this,
they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul laid his hands on them,
the Holy Spirit came upon them,
and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
Altogether there were about twelve men.

He entered the synagogue, and for three months debated boldly
with persuasive arguments about the Kingdom of God.

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Please pray for our seminarians as we will be on retreat starting today, Monday through Thursday.  We will be discussing Fr. Stephen Rosetti’s book “Why Priests are Happy”.

May we all spend this week asking for a renewed experience of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  Jesus ascended into heaven so that His Holy Spirit could live in the hearts of all of His followers.  The Holy Spirit is not bound by space or time, so the Lord’s presence is everywhere!

Come, Holy Spirit.  Fill the hearts of your faithful.  Bless our seminarians.  Bless all those reading this reflection.  Help us to experience Your peace and joy.

God bless,

Fr. Burke

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Acts of the apostles 18:9-18

One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision,
“Do not be afraid.
Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.
No one will attack and harm you,
for I have many people in this city.”
He settled there for a year and a half
and taught the word of God among them.

But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia,
the Jews rose up together against Paul
and brought him to the tribunal, saying,
“This man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law.”
When Paul was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews,
“If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud,
I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews;
but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titles
and your own law, see to it yourselves.
I do not wish to be a judge of such matters.”
And he drove them away from the tribunal.
They all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official,
and beat him in full view of the tribunal.
But none of this was of concern to Gallio.

Paul remained for quite some time,
and after saying farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria,
together with Priscilla and Aquila.
At Cenchreae he had shaved his head because he had taken a vow.

==============================================

Today Paul receives a vision telling him that the Lord would be with him no matter what happens.  He was encouraged to trust in the Lord completely.  I think each one of us should meditate on these words as if they were spoken to us, “Do not be afraid.  Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.”

So often we feel alone.  We have so many fears.   And more often the Lord tells us to not be afraid.  What are you afraid of?  Do you feel alone?  The Lord wants us to trust in Him completely.  He will give us the words to speak if we are about His work.

Take time to meditate on the Lord presence in your life.  He is closer to you than you are to yourself.  Do not be afraid.  Trust.  Love.  Then give it away, as Paul did.

Peace,

Fr. Burke

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Acts of the apostles 18:1-8

Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus,
who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla
because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome.
He went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade,
stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade.
Every sabbath, he entered into discussions in the synagogue,
attempting to convince both Jews and Greeks.

When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia,
Paul began to occupy himself totally with preaching the word,
testifying to the Jews that the Christ was Jesus.
When they opposed him and reviled him,
he shook out his garments and said to them,
“Your blood be on your heads!
I am clear of responsibility.
From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
So he left there and went to a house
belonging to a man named Titus Justus, a worshiper of God;
his house was next to a synagogue.
Crispus, the synagogue official, came to believe in the Lord
along with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians
who heard believed and were baptized.

================================================

We continue to follow the travels of St. Paul.  Today we find him in Corinth and we find him staying with fellow tentmakers, Aquila and Priscilla.  He worked with them to earn his keep, while he spent his free time preaching about Jesus.  Then when his companions Timothy and Silas arrived, Paul focused all of his time on preaching.

Paul did not take it personally when people opposed his teaching.  In fact, he took Jesus’ advice and shook the sand off of his sandals.  He did what he could to share the Good News and left the decision up to the listeners.  This is a good lesson for us.  We cannot control how other people respond to our sharing of the Good News, but we are on for sharing it.  Many people did come to believe in Jesus and were baptized in Corinth.

As Paul travels from city to city, you can just see how he is lighting a fire wherever he goes.  The fires that he started are still being passed on today.

Has my heart been lit on fire with the Gospel?

Do I continue to stoke this fire with prayer and study of God’s word?

Do I share this flame with others by sharing my testimony with others?

Don’t let the flame of faith go out.

Peace,

Fr. Burke

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Acts of the apostles 17:15, 22-18:1

After Paul’s escorts had taken him to Athens,
they came away with instructions for Silas and Timothy
to join him as soon as possible.
Then Paul stood up at the Areopagus and said:
“You Athenians, I see that in every respect
you are very religious.
For as I walked around looking carefully at your shrines, I even discovered an altar inscribed, ‘To an Unknown God.’
What therefore you unknowingly worship, I proclaim to you.
The God who made the world and all that is in it,
the Lord of heaven and earth,
does not dwell in sanctuaries made by human hands,
nor is he served by human hands because he needs anything.
Rather it is he who gives to everyone life and breath and everything.
He made from one the whole human race
to dwell on the entire surface of the earth,
and he fixed the ordered seasons and the boundaries of their regions,
so that people might seek God,
even perhaps grope for him and find him,
though indeed he is not far from any one of us.
For ‘In him we live and move and have our being,’
as even some of your poets have said,
‘For we too are his offspring.’
Since therefore we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the divinity is like an image
fashioned from gold, silver, or stone by human art and imagination.
God has overlooked the times of ignorance,
but now he demands that all people everywhere repent
because he has established a day on which he will ‘judge the world
with justice’ through a man he has appointed,
and he has provided confirmation for all
by raising him from the dead.”

When they heard about resurrection of the dead,
some began to scoff, but others said,
“We should like to hear you on this some other time.”
And so Paul left them.
But some did join him, and became believers.
Among them were Dionysius,
a member of the Court of the Areopagus,
a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

After this he left Athens and went to Corinth.

——————————————–

I love the fact that every fiber of Paul’s being was dedicated to serving Jesus Christ.  Everything he did and said was directed to the salvation of every person he encountered.  He didn’t water down the message, though.  He told the truth and left it up to the listeners whether or not they were going to repent from their sins and come to the Lord.

Today, Paul was in the Areopagus, an area full of statues, temples and shrines.  You can imagine him touring the area much like tourists do today.  He was struck by the pagan idolatry and their shrines to numerous gods.  He was struck by one shrine to the “Unknown god”.  He told them that they were unwittingly worshipping the God of gods, the One who created the universe.  He used this as an opportunity to preach to them about Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.  Some listened and were converted.  Some left finding his teaching impossible to embrace.

Paul tried to get them to see the power of God, the omnipresence of God and the love of God.  The person of Jesus Christ had changed world history and we would never be the same.  He was so convinced of this truth that he tirelessly traveled the ancient world seeking the salvation of souls.

Where do I spend my time and energy?

How much do I focus on sharing Christ with others and saving souls?

Do I know my faith and am I convinced of the truth of Jesus Christ?

Let us take time today to reflect on our walk with Christ and our commitment to spreading the Good News.

Peace,

Fr. Burke

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Acts of the apostles 16:22-34

The crowd in Philippi joined in the attack on Paul and Silas,
and the magistrates had them stripped
and ordered them to be beaten with rods.
After inflicting many blows on them,
they threw them into prison
and instructed the jailer to guard them securely.
When he received these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell
and secured their feet to a stake.

About midnight, while Paul and Silas were praying
and singing hymns to God as the prisoners listened,
there was suddenly such a severe earthquake
that the foundations of the jail shook;
all the doors flew open, and the chains of all were pulled loose.
When the jailer woke up and saw the prison doors wide open,
he drew his sword and was about to kill himself,
thinking that the prisoners had escaped.
But Paul shouted out in a loud voice,
“Do no harm to yourself; we are all here.”
He asked for a light and rushed in and,
trembling with fear, he fell down before Paul and Silas.
Then he brought them out and said,
“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus
and you and your household will be saved.” So they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his house.
He took them in at that hour of the night and bathed their wounds;
then he and all his family were baptized at once.
He brought them up into his house and provided a meal
and with his household rejoiced at having come to faith in God.

Thanks for your well wishes.  I had a wonderful time in Colorado celebrating my niece’s confirmation and being with family.  As always, I’m happy to be home and back to the ministry here in the Diocese of Joliet.

 

As we continue on this journey of Easter through the Acts of the Apostles, we hear another amazing miracle story.    Paul and Silas are stripped, beaten and thrown into jail for preaching the name of Jesus.  In prison, Paul and Silas continued to preach and sing hymns while the other prisoners listened.  Then there was an earthquake and all the chains and doors were opened.  The jailer was going to kill himself because he would be responsible for the lost prisoners.  But Paul not only prevents him from killing himself, but he evangelizes the man and his whole family.  They were all baptized that day. Wow!

 

What can we take from this story:

1)     Following Jesus is not easy.  He tells us that we are going to have to carry our crosses.  Paul and Silas received similar treatment to Jesus.  What keeps me from preaching the Good News?  What are my fears?  What am I afraid to lose?  Comfort?  Friends?  Freedom?

2)    Despite the hardships,  Paul and Silas sang hymns and evangelized the prisoners.  We all have heavy crosses to bear, but that shouldn’t prevent us from praising God and sharing the Good News.  They could have cursed Jesus from the prison for being arrested due to His name.  No – they praised Him for being worthy to be persecuted.  Blessed are those who are persecuted for Jesus’ sake.  What do I do as I carry my cross?  Do I complain?  Do I praise God?  Do I sing hymns to Jesus?

3)    They sought the salvation of souls always.  Paul and Silas could have quickly disappeared once the prison gates were opened.  They were free.  They could have run for their lives.  Yet, they were sensitive to the life of this jailer and baptized him and his whole family.  Am I lost in my own world, unaware of those around me who suffer?  Do I seek the salvation of each person that I encounter throughout the day?

 

Thank you Lord for such great witnesses as Paul and Silas…

God bless,

Fr. Burke

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Jn 14:21-26

Jesus said to his disciples: “Whoever has my commandments and observes them is the one who loves me. Whoever loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.” Judas, not the Iscariot, said to him, “Master, then what happened that you will reveal yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me.
“I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in my name– he will teach you everything and remind you of all that I told you.”

————————

I am currently in Colorado visiting with my brothers.  My niece will be confirmed on Tuesday.  Please pray that the Holy Spirit fill all of these young people with grace and joy to spread the Good News.  I will be back in Joliet on Thursday.

 

Blessings,

Fr. Burke

 

1 Corinthians 15:1-8

I am reminding you, brothers and sisters,
of the Gospel I preached to you,
which you indeed received and in which you also stand.
Through it you are also being saved,
if you hold fast to the word I preached to you,
unless you believed in vain.
For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received:
that Christ died for our sins
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he was buried;
that he was raised on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures;
that he appeared to Cephas, then to the Twelve.
After that, he appeared to more
than five hundred brothers and sisters at once,
most of whom are still living,
though some have fallen asleep.
After that he appeared to James,
then to all the Apostles.
Last of all, as to one born abnormally,
he appeared to me.

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Today the Church remembers the apostles Philip and James, two of the people responsible for spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ throughout the world.  It is this Gospel that Paul is reminding the Corinthians of in today’s reading.  What is the Good News?  Jesus died for our sins, was buried, was raised on the third day, then appeared to many people before He rose to heaven.  James was one of those who saw Jesus after the resurrection, along with Paul and hundreds of others.

This is the message that we have heard thousands of times.  We repeat it in the Creed every Sunday and feast day.  However, it should never become old for us because it is the saving message of God.  It tells us the depth of God’s love for us.  It reveals the extent to which God was willing to go to save us from our sins.  And for this we should be exultant.

That is what this Easter season is all about.  It should be a time that reminds us of this great mystery of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  Death no longer has power over us.  We have hope that if we place our faith in Jesus and entrust our lives to Him completely, we will live with Him for all eternity.  Take time to meditate on that good news today.  Don’t allow it just to roll past your eyes and ears.  But try to hear it for the first time as the early Christians did.

Does the Easter message give me hope in my daily life?

Am I living my life completely at the service of our Lord?

Have I entrusted my life, my family, my work, my school to Jesus?

Have a blessed day!

Fr. Burke

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John 12:44-50

Jesus cried out and said,
“Whoever believes in me believes not only in me
but also in the one who sent me,
and whoever sees me sees the one who sent me.
I came into the world as light,
so that everyone who believes in me might not remain in darkness.
And if anyone hears my words and does not observe them,
I do not condemn him,
for I did not come to condemn the world but to save the world.
Whoever rejects me and does not accept my words
has something to judge him: the word that I spoke,
it will condemn him on the last day,
because I did not speak on my own,
but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and speak.
And I know that his commandment is eternal life.
So what I say, I say as the Father told me.”

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Jesus clearly identifies Himself with the Father in this part of the Gospel of John.  If we believe in Jesus, we believe in the Father.  If we see Jesus, we see the Father.  What a gift that is to treasure!  Our God, the Creator of the Universe, has allowed us to get to know Him through the Incarnation.  Jesus of Nazareth, born of the Virgin Mary, is the perfect reflection of the Father.  What do we see in Jesus?  Unconditional love, divine mercy, the desire for unity, the Prince of peace, seeker of souls, the King of kings.

Jesus describes Himself as the “light” so that we no longer live in the darkness of this world.  Jesus came to show us the way to the Father.  Once we know the way, it is up to us to follow Him.  If we do not follow the Light of the world, then we condemn ourselves.  It is not Jesus who ever condemns us – it is our responsibility.  God is love.  Jesus did not come to condemn the world, but to save it.

So the question is – do I know the way? 

Do I know the person of Jesus?

Do I try to follow His Light in my daily life?

Do I walk in darkness or the light?

Lord, we thank you for showing us the Light, for you are the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Help us to know You, to follow You, to serve You.

Have a blessed day!
Fr. Burke

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